Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 137. New Title Granted

The top essence was the largest among the others, and her light shone with the most radiant brilliance of all — Cubie. Judging by the aura and sheer size, she was undoubtedly a Mythic-tier essence in her own right.

Lyra nodded to herself before turning to Zetius. “Okay, I think that essence there is definitely Mythic, but I’ve never seen one like this before,” she muttered, her voice uneven as she tapped her ring and scrolled through the essence catalogue.

“Huh?” Zetius glanced at Lyra thoughtfully, then exchanged a look with his friend.

“Yeah, another anomaly. That essence is the first of her kind... So, would you like to register it?” Lyra asked gently.

“I wanna be called Cubellina!” the Mythic essence spoke, her voice divine.

Caught in surprise, Lyra jumped. “It can talk?! In its inactive state?!” she muttered, staring at Zetius.

He shrugged, equally ignorant of the phenomenon.

“Cubellina? That’s actually a wonderful name!” Aurelia exclaimed joyfully, her red eyes sparkling. Even Friederich gave a quiet nod of agreement, a faint smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

“Ugh… that means you’re not in control of such an essence if it—” Lyra’s words were cut short.

“How rude, lady. Stop calling me ‘it’! I’m a cute girl!” Cubie whined, clearly provoked.

“G~Girl? Huh? Okay...” Lyra relented, taking a moment to compose herself.

“Well, your essence is clearly beyond your control, and she’s not your construct either... This would render the examination invalid.”

“What?! How? She’s definitely my essence,” Zetius stammered, tilting his head in confusion and folding his arms.

“Then that’d be cheating, Zetius. If any mage could just bring other constructs into the assessment,” she explained calmly.

“That’s the rule, Zetius,” Friederich chimed in, his voice firm as he tapped his temple. “You have to be able to control your essence with at least fifty per cent of its full potential. The nature of Cubie is that you can’t manipulate her with arcane means, but only through words. Essentially, you’re not casting spells to control her.”

Zetius pressed his lips into a thin line, exasperated. But he couldn’t argue further. Rules were rules.

“Alright. I’ll register her as Cubellina Essence for now,” Lyra said, logging the data into her ring.

After a brief pause, she pointed at the other essences, beginning with the red orb slot, where a fierce flame pulsed.

“You also have an Empyrion Essence — Greater Tier,” she said, estimating with precision as she extended a measuring string from her device.

“Damn… Lesser, Greater, Epic, Mythic, and Primordial. And my Empyrion didn’t even qualify as Epic?” Zetius muttered inwardly, rubbing his thumbs together in slight frustration.

Then she pointed at the non-bloom lotus essence and the circular shield. “Those two are both Lesser Tier—the Essences of Iasis and Phoros,” she explained, voice professional.

Aurelia’s high-pitched chuckle rang from behind. “At this rate, someone’s getting demoted to Novitcius!” she teased, pretending to whisper to the Prime Guardian. She winked mischievously as Zetius glanced over his shoulder. He heard her loud and clear.

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If only they knew that the Lesser Phoros was combined with Cubie’s Armatus shield and saved them from total annihilation aboard the Zeigerlich battlecruiser, Zetius groaned internally.

Lyra motioned for Zetius to step closer. “Now, I’ll check your mana reservoir,” she said firmly.

“Okay,” Zetius replied, mimicking her hand position until their fingers hovered just inches apart.

Lyra closed her eyes, channelling her mana as she focused.

The image on the screen shifted to a glowing orb filled with swirling, rippling liquid. It cast a soft amber glow in the dim room. The glittering gold liquid surged and twirled mesmerisingly.

Lyra stepped in to take measurements, quickly noting that only a quarter of the reservoir was filled.

“Hm? Someone’s been busy,” she muttered softly.

Behind him, Aurelia narrowed her gaze. Her suspicion was confirmed — Zetius had been using arcane recently, judging by the mana depletion this early in the morning.

Zetius offered a weak smile. “Well, I guess Cubie’s been innately draining my mana,” he said, lying through his teeth and trying to sound casual.

Once the ritual concluded and Lyra had gathered all the required data, she led them back to the registration area.

She eagerly began inputting everything into the kiosk.

Zetius stood in the middle, hopeful. He wanted — at the very least — to be classified as Stellius. It wasn’t just about status. It was the respect that came with it.

“Okay, I’ve reached the conclusion,” Lyra announced, rummaging through the cabinet beside her desk for a ring.

Zetius’s eyes gleamed, and his heart raced as he tried to peek, but he couldn’t make anything out.

“Zetius Zel Celerius, your rank has been confirmed as Novitcius,” Lyra declared with a professional cadence. “As you are currently unaffiliated with any registered arcane house, your designation shall fall under the jurisdiction of the Solis Aeternum General Court.” She extended a bronze ring toward him, engraved with the sigil of Solis Aeternum.

“Hahahahaha!” Aurelia burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Even Friederich struggled to maintain his usual composure and had to turn his face away.

The words struck Zetius like a plasma round. His square shoulders bent inward under the weight of disappointment.

He picked up the ring and slid it onto his finger. Aurelia’s laughter echoed through the hall, turning a few heads among the other visitors.

He had never felt this humiliated. His expression darkened, grim.

Cubie awoke of her own accord. “Don’t sulk, Zetius. You might be at the starting rank, but with me, we’ll definitely become Celestius!” she declared with absurd confidence.

It didn’t help. Aurelia broke into another fit of laughter, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

“Cubellina alone is probably Celestius-level. A Mythic Essence alone would’ve landed you the Lunarius title already,” Aurelia said, patting Cubie, who vibrated with joy.

However, in reality, the Celestius rank could only be achieved through the most extraordinary feats, and only one arcanist could hold the seat for each Zodiac sign at a time. Even the most brilliant mages often reached that point — only to remain stuck, unable to progress any further.

“Ay! You’re dragging this on!” Zetius hissed, the heat rising in his chest, though he quickly tamped down his anger.

With that, the trio left the building and headed for their next destination, the grand arena where great warmongering battles took place. The Colosseum.

Zetius stepped into the sunlight as it warmed his skin. A sense of nostalgia bloomed in his chest.

“When did I forget... that I used to be called a Novitcius?” he murmured, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

A wave of cherished memories rushed over him of his time in the Hoffmann estate and the night Lupus taught Jack the basics of Arcane 101.

Lupus’s joyous lift when she met his gaze, those golden eyes, the most beautiful and precious in his world. That warm stare had etched itself into his soul, teaching him that love, in its purest form, truly existed. And it still lived on within him.

“You’ve outdone yourself, my esteemed Novitcius,” her praise echoed in his mind, as clearly as if it were spoken yesterday.

At ease, he took in a long breath. The cool wind brushed against his skin as he stepped into the car, joining the others with a newfound resolve.

Whether Novitcius or Stellius, those titles don’t define me. They never did. I’ll carve my own path, and I’ll rise on my own terms. He concluded with pride.